The use of plastics and rubbers are widespread in today's world. The production of these plastics and rubbers are from the polymerization of monomers which are generally produced from petroleum. The monomers are generated by the breakdown of larger molecules to smaller molecules which can be modified. The monomers are then reacted to generate larger molecules comprising chains of the monomers. An important example of these monomers is light olefins, including ethylene and propylene, which represent a large portion of the worldwide demand in the petrochemical industry. Light olefins, and other monomers, are used in the production of numerous chemical products via polymerization, oligomerization, alkylation and other well-known chemical reactions. Producing large quantities of light olefin material in an economical manner, therefore, is a focus in the petrochemical industry. These monomers are essential building blocks for the modern petrochemical and chemical industries. The main source for these materials in present day refining is the steam cracking of petroleum feeds.
Another important monomer is 1,3-butadiene. Butadiene is a basic chemical component for the production of a range of synthetic rubbers and polymers, as well as the production of precursor chemicals for the production of other polymers. Examples include homopolymerized products such as polybutadiene rubber (PBR), or copolymerized butadiene with other monomers, such as styrene and acrylonitrile. Butadiene is also used in the production of resins such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
Butadiene is typically recovered as a byproduct from the cracking process, wherein the cracking process produces light olefins such as ethylene and propylene. With the increase in demand for rubbers and polymers having the desired properties of these rubbers, an aim to improving butadiene yields from materials in a petrochemical plant will improve the plant economics. The economics of butadiene production can be strongly affected by capital and operating costs.
The TPC/UOP Oxo-D Process is a process that can convert n-butenes to butadiene. There is a very large water circulation requirement in the system to provide circulating water to the reactor section, quench tower and aldehyde removal section. With these three large water circulation loops, there is a significant utility penalty to the process.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide apparatuses and processes which results in a better integration of water circulation loops in the Oxo-D Process and provide a reduction in the overall utilities and operating costs. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present subject matter will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the subject matter and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and this background of the subject matter.